Good card shops in LA/Long Beach area

mudflap02 · July 3, 2004 4:28PM

I will have a free day next week sometime out here in LA and was hoping someone could give me a few tips. I'm looking for a good place to go that might have a good selection of Nolans. Any suggestions?

SDSportsFan · July 3, 2004 4:41PM

The only shop I'm familiar with in LA is Burbank Sportscards. They're on Magnolia Ave in Burbank, roughly a couple miles west of I-5. They can be a little on the expensive side, but their selection is unbeatable. Basically if they don't have a card, then in most cases it doesn't even exist.

Steve

onegaucho · July 3, 2004 5:12PM

Burbank is an interesting place. Millions of cards. They're kinda anal about how you browse though. If you can believe, all those millions of cards are actually sorted in numerical order. Tons of binders too.

If you catch them at good times, Beverly Hills BBC shop on Robertson used to have great vintage stuff too. Matt is the owner. He loves baseball trivia. I've seen some incredible stuff walk through the door before.

Check with Griffins (board member) for more places. He might even be free for a Dodgers game if they're in town.

Griffins · July 3, 2004 5:27PM

Burbank Cards would be a decent bet. Near Burbank cards is TJ's sportcards (might be called Porky's) that had some interesting stuff. There are a couple of other shops but I haven't been near any of them in a few years.
On the westside there is All Stars on Robertson and Olympic, and Beverly Hills sportscards a few blocks south on the other side of Robertson. Of all of these BH is probably your best bet- Matt has a wide range of stuff and is very personable.
There are a few in the South Bay but I've yet to check them out. NickM on this board can give you specifics, and probably the complete inventory as of a day or so ago. Not much gets past him.
All in all I think your time is better spent going thru ebay. Card shops can't match the inventory or prices. Next decent show around here is September.

NickM · July 3, 2004 6:43PM

Burbank Sportscards will beat anyone else in selection of Nolans. Price is a different story. If they're cheap, it's by mistake.
In the south part of L.A. County, I recommend Time Out Collectibles in Torrance (large selection of basic and inserts, not oddball; prices will be below Beckett HI), and South Bay Baseball Cards in Lomita is worth a look, especially if you're interested in autographs or memorabilia. Baseball Card Mint is practically on the route between those two, but skip it. I think Beanies are the only way he stays in business.
If you're in Long Beach, heading into Orange County might be worthwhile. There are a number of shops there, although I haven't been to any of them recently.
I would skip All Stars. Seeing Beckett HI prices on creased cards doesn't leave me with a good feeling.
While Santa Monica SportsCards is good for some things (and has a large selection of wax from the past decade at decent prices), it's probably not very helpful for older singles.
Games and Cards in Glendale is a waste of time.
Porky's is worth seeing just to gawk at the wide pre-war selection (and maybe chat with T.J.).
That's all I can really think of right now.
Plenty more got by me.

Nick

grilloj39 · July 3, 2004 9:33PM

I think Dave's sportscards www.gfg.com is based out of LA.
Dave's Sportscard in LA

Griffins · July 4, 2004 2:19AM

Dave works out of his house- and is often traveling. His web site is probably the closest you'll get to the cards unless you place an order.
Good service on lower condition stuff.

MorrellMan · July 4, 2004 4:18AM

On the other end of the spectrum, and as a place to find a lot of local dealers together, you might want to try Frank and Son warehouse card shows - they're out near Walnut and they have shows every Wednesday and Saturday. Here's a link to shows in July. Good luck.

pc · July 4, 2004 4:53AM

i used to go to the shop on robertson until he sold
me some trimmed 66s including a rose and wouldnt refund.

Griffins · July 4, 2004 5:50AM

Paul-
Which shop? All Stars or Bev Hills?

pc · July 4, 2004 6:58AM

your boy matt(bh)

TheCARDKid · July 4, 2004 1:16PM

Matt's got a nice place. He's in been business for what, 15 plus years? I remember his place when there was an explosion of cards aound here (Crosners shop in Westwood, numerous places in Culver City and West LA). He's one of the few that survived the early to mid 90's shakeout, so he must be doing something right.

Another shop is on Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica Sports Cards. Their website is Calsports.com. A good selection of wax, and reasonably well stocked singles.

onlychild · July 4, 2004 1:29PM

I also recommend South Bay Sports Cards in Lomita.

I live about a block away and have been doing business with them since about 87. Very friendly and honest and always willing to deal. Ask for Scott, he's an awesome guy.

Kevin Saucier

____________________________________________

Always looking for Bell Brands annd 59 Dodger postcards.

purelyPSA · July 4, 2004 2:00PM

Kevin Saucier? The ex-Tiger and ex-Phil?

MorrellMan · July 5, 2004 12:33AM

<< <i>Matt's got a nice place. He's in been business for what, 15 plus years? >>

I first stopped into Beverly Hills BB Card Shop in 1984. The shop was located on Wilshire Blvd in those days. Matt worked there, might even have been a partner of some sort, but a guy named Ken owned the place. He sold the business to Matt shortly thereafter. I think Ken is still active in the hobby, but I can't for the life of me remember his last name.

onlychild · July 5, 2004 8:10AM

Nope sorry. wrong Kevin. He is older than me, lives in Florida and about 6 inches taller. We are opposite in almost every way, except in name. Besides I am much better looking.

I understand he went through some mental problems, which caused him to pitch consistantly wild...he lost his zone.

It would be kind cool to own his graded rookie card. Its difficult to find centered and very much a common/overlooked card. He almost never comes up for auction but when it does it usually sells for a whopping $5-$10. I did manage to get his autograph in 1980, when I was in H.S..

Kevin

mudflap02 · July 6, 2004 2:15PM

Had the entire day to myself today, so I wasted it looking at cards. There are zero card shops in my hometown of College Station, and only 1 or 2 in Houston.

First, I went to Burbank Sportscards. I was really impressed with their website, and decided to make it my first stop. I walked in around noon, and I was the only customer in the store. The owner was sitting behind a computer, and there were at least 3 employees wandering around. I asked about Nolan Ryan cards, and it was downhill from there. I felt like a kid who hadn't done my homework. He expected me to have printed out every card that I wanted to see before I came in, the turned it in as soon as I walked in the door. There were a few I could think off offhand, I told him, and he sent a lackey to retrieve them from the back. I eyeballed them, decided to buy one (a 1993 Metz Bakery Ryan for $3), and didn't like the looks of the other (a 1993 UD season Highlights Ryan that was pretty dinged up). The UD had 2 weak corners and pretty bad chipping on one edge. He wanted $25 for it, and offered me a deal of $20. I then asked about some of the 99 Topps Finest Ryan Refractors he had, and was told that he wasn't going to go back and forth making trips to get cards for me. Keep in mind I was the ONLY customer in the store. Total spent = $3 Grade: B-. Great selection, but customer service left a lot to be desired. He didn't know that I had a wad of cash in my pocket I was more than happy to spend at his store.

Next was Porky's. TJ, the owner was working. There was one other customer in the store, a guy looking pretty seriously at a 1933 Goudey Ruth in a PSA 2 slab. Even with this whale of a customer in the store, TJ took time out to talk to me, have a little conversation, and show me what I was looking for. Inventory was pretty slim, but the majority was pre 1960. He had an awesome run of 33 Goudeys from PSA 2 to PSA 5. Didn't buy anything, but he offered me a 77 topps Ryan PSA 8 for $20 (a great price). I passed on it, but would definitely recommend him. He also had a ton of old timey boxing cards. Told me he was also an editor of Tuff Stuff Magazine. I can see how it would be kind of easy to overlook me as a customer (23 year old kid with shorts and flip flops asking for PSA Ryans, but he was very nice all around. Grade: B

Up next was All-Star Sportcards in Beverly Hills. Complete bust. Mainly YuGiOh and Magic cards. Very nice guy working though. Also had an outstanding run of 1968 topps, probably over half the set, and all the stars except Ryan. They were in PSA slabs - a few 7's, mostly 8's, and also a few 9's. Any 1968 Guys should definitely be on top of this guy. Grade: C

Next was the best shop I visited, Beverly Hills Sports Cards. The 2 guys were very helpful. Matt, the owner, was definitely a class act. They had 3 boxes of Ryan stuff to dig through, and he hinted that he may have had some early OPC stuff. I told him not to even bother because I was in no spot to buy it right now, and I didn't want to waste his time. They had a huge German Sheperd named Koufax wandering around the store. I picked out some cool stuff from the boxes - a 1992 Leaf Gold, a 1994 Stadium Club Golden rainbow, and a sweet 1992 Pinnacle Rookie Idols Ryan/Van Poppel among others, all of which should grade out at least 9's. When it was time to go, I spent a grand total of $30. He charged me $15 for the PInnacle (BV 40), $5 for the Stadium Club (BV 15), and $10 for the rest, which probably booked around $25. Very personable, great atmosphere, and will definitely make a return trip next time I'm in LA. Grade : A+

Time for a late Lunch - In N Out Double Double, fries, shake. Off to South Bay!

Next stop was Time Out sportscards. They are major players on ebay, and I was pretty impressed. It was weird though - I walked in, and the shop was run by older ladies. They really knew their stuff though! They also had another customer (another older lady) who was busting 3 boxes of 2004 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites. I swear it was like something out of the twilight zone. Fair selection - Bought a Duracell card, a 1992 Fleer Great Performers, and a 1993 Score, all perfect. She charged me $1 apiece and threw in a 1993 Mothers cookies still in the plastic that was perfect as well. I bought 2 packs of Heritage and 1 of Cracker Jack just to be nice. Very nice shop, well organized vintage. Good selection of low ro mid grade commons from 1956 on. Grade - B+

Next was the beanie baby guy on Lomita. Waste of time - had a few Ryans in a binder, but nothing I was interested in. He spent the whole time wheeling and dealing beanie babies with some lady while I flipped through the binder. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Grade: C

Last was South Bay Sportscards. Real class act and probably the best looking store of all I visited. Decent selection, but the manager Scott talked to me for quite a while. The subject of cracking slabs came up, and he explained to me the easiest way to crack a PSA slab. He said to just stick an Xacto knife in the corner, turn, and voila. Then he demonstrated on a 1997 Topps Chrome Roy Halladay PSA 8 priced $15. Sure enough, it popped right open. I bought a 1991 OPC premire for a buck and another charity pack of heritage. South Bay sportscards had probably the best selection of high grade vintage cards that I saw. Great atmosphere. Grade - A

All in all, a busy day and I will probably not set foot in another card shop for at least a year. Beverly Hills, Time Out, and South Bay really stood out. Thanks for the tips guys - I'm really happy with the cards I got, and I had a great time wandering around and getting lost from Burbank to Torrance.

Kid4hof03 · July 6, 2004 2:30PM

Now that was a good day! When I first moved to the Philly area in 1994 I would spend every Thursday (my day off) shopping for cards and such. I would start at a local flea market at 6:30 AM and then travel 30 miles south and work my way back. I'd hit 6 card shops each week. Ebay has changed everything, I can't recall the last time I visited a real card shop (I don't count BC sports at the mall), in fact, I can only think of 2 that are still in business.

Thanks for the report, was a fun read.

Abe

67standup · July 6, 2004 2:43PM

Great write-up Mudflap. I lived in LA/Long Beach before moving to Oregon, but didn't visit most of those shops since I exited the hobby in the late 1990s.

Your impression of Burbank Sportscards confirms mine. Each time I order from them it feels like I'm a bother, and there are all these rules when ordering. Moreover, after selecting and moving needed cards into "my cart" on their website, the interface with the Beckett Marketplace storefront cancelled the order. And of course when I finally received the cards, the actual condition was one grade less than the stated.

I rarely have an enlightening experience when visiting card shops these days. Dealer attitude is a part of it, but inventory just isn't there. Nevertheless, it's still a good time to talk cards with those who enjoy the hobby.

NickM · July 6, 2004 3:05PM

I'll tell Shelley, Sandy, and Martha (and the customer, who I'd bet was Bo) that their store came out of the Twilight Zone.

Did you check out their 50 cent and dollar box while you were there? For me, that's the first stop every time I go in - and depending on how recently they have restocked it, I'll end up spending anywhere from $1 or $2 to $100 just out of that box (mainly on #ed inserts and rookies, with sometimes autos and GU as well).

Glad to hear you've had a good time.

Next time, come out here in conjunction with a Hollywood Park show.

We'll make sure to have a board get-together.

Nick

onegaucho · July 6, 2004 3:20PM

Ahh... good ol Koufax.... great dog. Did you talk any trivia with Matt?

Great recap. Reminded me of my days living in LA and doing the same type of wandering around stores...

Scumbi · July 6, 2004 3:34PM

Once that dog dies, I'd be hard-pressed to find a reason to go into B.H. Baseball Cards.

S.

NickM · July 6, 2004 3:36PM

Scumbi - you could always go in and ask if they have any relic cards of Koufax.

Nick

Scumbi · July 6, 2004 3:37PM

mudflap02 · July 6, 2004 3:42PM

Yes, the customer was Bo. In fact, she pulled a Ryan fan favorites, asked what she wanted for it, and she gave it to me out of the blue. The shop was out of the twilight zone, but I will definitely go back! They were so nice, I actually stopped in to buy another pack of heritage as I passed by later on in the day. I was going to pick up my Dad, and I bought him a pack and called it a "scratcher" since he throws his money away on lotto tickets like there is no tomorrow. He opened it, pulled a Craig Ansman chrome card, and about shat himself. I told him it was worth $1500. I had to burst his bubble when we got home and showed him the one on ebay witha BIN of $1.25. Funny to watch the old man shake though.

Scumbi · July 7, 2004 7:14AM

I just wanted to close this thread by giving an overview of the dealers in Los Angeles. Some of the info is a bit misleading. Los Angeles is not the pearl destination that Hawaii is for baseball cards. The shops cater to morons who just made a film deal and have too much money to spend. Prices are grotesquely inflated. Also, the dealers are a compendium of your basic four types of greedmongers.

BH Baseball Cards in not an A+. It is a nice looking store and I can understand how Mudflap formed his impression. Matt has one of the biggest egos in the business. He never mentions that someone else started the store. He represents himself as some type of prodigy who had the foresight of those who bought Eastman Kodak in 1911. I've seen him yell at the poor teenage kids who work there for peanuts. He thinks he's a ladies' man. Sometimes it's hard to stomach the hour stories about him getting chicks especially when laser beams can shoot out of his eyes and disintegrate you at any second. He's the master of negotiating a done price and hooking you for sales tax. He's forgotten rule #1 - The customer is the important one. His inventory is usually slim and it takes a long time to get him to bring out his good stuff. He's always trying to sell his crud.

Burbank Sportscards is doing you a favor selling cards. It's a family operation where the son thinks he built the place from ground up. The father is senile and mean. I once called there to find about if they had cards from a few specific sets. The old man told me, "We have every card ever made." When, unhindered, I asked him if he had a full run of Mays cards from rookie to 1954 he told me "We don't have any of those". I don't know a local who has a nice thing to say about the place.

Porky's is like a museum. The place is messy and you have to be willing to spend some time sorting through the crap. He has amazing autographs and relics. His card inventory is fair. He's generally accomodating and polite, but know your prices before you go in. If he senses you don't know the SMR or Beckett, he'll eat you up alive.

All Star Cards has the nicest owner of the group. He just has no cards to offer. If you go in for anything pre-1970, you'll come out a fifth level Yugi-Oh wizard with the wand of Krelbo. The store is the J.C. Penney of baseball card stores. At least you won't feel violated when you walk out of there.

Also, there's a Valley Baseball Cards store run by some guy named Max. He's a nice guy with some good stories. His inventory is fair at best unless you want unopened Moonraker cards. He does have a few cards from odd sets, but it's best to call him to see if you want to go. The fact he's a nice man makes his store worth a visit twice a year.

So, try Porky's for autographs and pre-war cards. Federgreen has some tobacco cards if you ever get to the point that he feels like bringing them out instead of talking about his Don Juan-esque skill (He looks like a gargoyle). Burbank is great if you buy off of Beckett and like getting ripped. All Star rekindles your love of Dungeons and Dragons. Call the guy first because he'll at least deal if he has any decent cards. Otherwise, Ebay it. That's the biggest card store in the world.

This post is strictly my opinion. It is subjective. However, we all know I'm hardly ever wrong and I live in the Marina so I've made the circuit a couple of times.

S.

onegaucho · July 7, 2004 7:24AM

I'd have to concur with most of Scumbi's comments about BH and All Star. Rich (I believe that's his name) was a really nice guy and was just getting his shop started when I knew him back in 97. I even helped him sell cards on a thing called 'eBay' back then...

And ditto on the comments about Burbank. A bunch of clowns there. At least they left me alone long enough to pilfer through their entire 63 Fleer and 73 Topps inventory way back when. You almost feel like you're committing a crime by asking to see one of their binders... and even after you get them, you have to make sure you keep everything in the EXACT order you saw them in...

True, LA isn't the mecca of sports cards stores, but it's got quite an offering. San Diego's shops are starting to fade a bit (at least in terms of available vintage) and there are no good shows that are around here anymore.

NickM · July 7, 2004 8:25AM

Scumbi - where is Valley Baseball Cards? If it's the one on Ventura Blvd. in Encino (or maybe Tarzana), I would generally not recommend going there unless you're looking for tough oddball stuff (which, when he can't find it in the Beckett Almanac because he doesn't know how to look for oddball cards, he prices as if it were Topps) or don't mind trimmed "NM" cards.

Nick

AlanAllen · July 7, 2004 8:33AM

Boy, I've had the exact opposite experience in Burbank. Of course, I always come with a very specific want list, so I guess I'm the type of customer they like. The prices are usually high, but they were nice to me and their selection is unbeatable. Bargains can be found in sets they don't know well... I picked up three 1962 Fleer PSA 8's from their showcase for below SMR (they usually sell for about double on eBay). They SAY they have everything, and they might even THINK they have everything, but their knowledge and selection of oddball football is lacking.

I can't speak for the rest of LA, but I can tell you the pickings in Southern OC are slim indeed. Sports Cards Plus in Laguna Niguel is a must stop, but other than that I wouldn't suggest any. My favorite place here in San Clemente closed down a few years ago. There's a decent shop for modern stuff off of El Toro (the name escapes me). There's a decent cheap rib restaurant and a kettle corn place in the same strip

The Frank and Sons show is great if you want roasted nuts, fake plastic guns, hot wheels cars, or bootleg wrestling video tapes. It's also good for blowout prices on supplies and modern wax, but don't go there looking for singles. Maraya sets up there, but it's a vast wasteland otherwise.

Joe

67standup · July 7, 2004 8:37AM

<< <i>His inventory is fair at best unless you want unopened Moonraker cards. >>

Now that was funny.

I've read many threads regarding poor dealer/card shop owner attitude. It's always been this way as long as I can remember. Sure there are exceptions, but I wonder why a lousy attitude seems to characterize the sellers of this industry? There are a few industries that are tainted with poor, unscrupulous, negative, etc. traits, but the reasons why are a bit more obvious. But why the card "industry?"

NickM · September 2, 2004 6:19AM

Time Out Collectibles is going out of business.

The owners decided to retire, and the store is closing in September (final day is a couple days after the next Hollywood Park show ends).

Just about everything in the store is on a heavily discounted sale, including the display cases.

3-ring binders containing 500 to 900 cards in 9-pocket sheets (mixed commons and stars, in numerical order) are $10 apiece, and most major sets of the last 2 decades are included (I bought out their late '70s hockey inventory and a few others). 3200 count monster boxes contaning cards from less important sets (usually from the last few years) are $20 apiece (and it's stars as well as commons). The remaining memorabilia is 60% off (mainly autographed 8x10s) - a faded but still clear Mantle 8x10 auto cost me only $50. 1980s packs and lots of other cards are also discounted - and everything 1970 and after in single cards is half Beckett or less.

The store is at
2424 Sepulveda Boulevard #JK Torrance, CA 90501 (310) 539-9343

Nick

onlychild · September 2, 2004 7:01AM

WOW! By the address you gave, I live less than 5 miles from there and have yet to see it. Thanks for the tip. I'm there.

Kevin

pc · September 4, 2004 6:46AM

they're a great source of psa 5s and 6s.
might explain the "going out "for business sale"

onlychild · September 5, 2004 9:30AM

It's my understanding that there is the Hollywood Park show on Sat, 9/11. Who is going? We should arrange a time and place to meet.

Kevin

SOM · September 6, 2004 4:31AM

I agree with you totally, 67. I cannot for the life of me grasp the total lack of customer service in card shops. I am 50+, but still...every time I go into an LA shop (though I will say that Rob and his dad are polite to me...maybe my age works for me in their case), I feel as if I am an intruder! The store is usually staffed with cliquish teenaged imbeciles playing D&D or downloading music from the web or burning hot DVD's in the back room.

I am convinced that the LA card shops are nothing but money laundering operations.

Nick

Vargha · September 6, 2004 4:57AM

I'm going to the HP show. I believe that Anthony (griffins) is as well.

NickM · September 6, 2004 3:44PM

I'll be going to Hollywood Park as well. BTW, for everyone in the area, Rick Barry (NBA HOFer)'s autograph is free with paid admission on Sunday.

pc - as with any dealer's inventory, there are better and worse cards, and there were always plenty of PSA 7s and above in their vintage inventory (and a lot of 8OC and 9OC quality stars).

They have hit the blowout stage of their card pricing - 3200 count boxes are now down to $10 apiece, binders are now $5 apiece, all the single cards in the baseball showcases are now $1 apiece (of course, these showcases have been almost completely stripped by now - I did my part today, including snagging a '76 Schmidt that has a good chance at a PSA 9, and Ex-Mt or above '74 Schmidt, '74 Winfield, '73 Evans/Bumbry, '76 Aaron, '76 Aaron RB and a few other HOFers at $1 apiece), memorabilia pieces are on blowout pricing (although most of what is left is badly faded from sunlight), and many packs are as much as 70% off.

Nick

onlychild · September 7, 2004 4:01AM

I drove by the place last night...it's about 3 miles from my house and I never even noticed it was there. That's probably why it's closing. Location, location location. Bummer I won't get a chance to visit, I get out of work too late, ironically Nick, in the designer clothing industry.

I will be a HP on Sat. Is there a place to get more info on the event?

Kevin

Scumbi · September 7, 2004 2:43PM

I'll be there at the LA show. However, due to my controversial stances on everything from erectile enahancement to the fate of children's public television, I'll be in disguise. I will be disguised as McAvoy's wife so please come up, squeeze my left tit and say "hello".

Truthfully, I will be there and I do trust a couple of you not to assassinate me. I will find a way to make myself avaiable for a handshake and snapshot at Hollywood Park. If anyone would like to hurt me, please book a time on the schedule down below so I know how many painkillers to bring.

SAT.
11:00 - 11:05 Time Available
11:06 - 11:10 Reserved By Wentz Bros.
11:11 - 11:15 Short Tinkle Break
11:16 - 11:21 Play grab ass with the Naxcom babes
11:22 - 4:00 Wide open for getting sh1t kicked out of me

Could someone please bring Goudeys, Dan Dees, Delongs and any odd regional issues like Stahl Meyer, Hires Test, Berk Ross, Venezuelans, etc.. I might actually have money this time since I broke up with the little woman girlfriend sexperson.

Thanks,

S.

onlychild · September 8, 2004 7:28AM

Here is the info on the show:

HollyWood Park Casino

Looks like there will be plenty of sports stars signing autos. I, for one, refuse to give anyone a red cent to sign their name....even if God himself/herself was signing.

How about a meeting? There must be a food court there. How about Sat, 1pm at the whatever snack area there is. Unless someone can or has come up with something better?

Kevin

Good card shops in LA/Long Beach area

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